Double Yellow-headed Amazon

Amazona oratrix

Range: Native to Mexico and Central America.

Habitat: Double Yellow-headed Amazon parrots prefer to live in

mangrove forests or riparian forests (forests near a body of
water).

Diet: Seeds, nuts, fruits, flowers, berries, and leaf buds.

Lifespan: In the wild, these birds can live to be 70 years old.

Description: Double Yellow-headed Amazons are one of the

larger amazon parrots weighing in at between 1-1.5 lbs. Their prominent feather color is green (as
with all other Amazon parrots) while their head is mostly yellow with some yellow and red on the
wrist joints of their wings and red and blue on the underside of their tail feathers.

Breeding: They become sexually mature at 3-4 years of age and when they find a mate, it is for life.
Breeding season is in April-May and the female will lay 3-4 eggs in hollow tree limbs and incubate
them for 26-28 days. The young will leave the nest at 8-12 weeks.

Behavior/Adaptations: Double Yellow-headed Amazons are very social birds and can be found
living in groups of hundreds of birds. When excited, all feathers of the neck and crown are raised,
making the head appear double in size, which is how they got their name. They strongly desire
attention and will engage in all sorts of behavior to gain this attention.

Predators: Humans, monkeys, raptors, and snakes.

Conservation: Double Yellow-headed Amazons are listed as “Endangered” due to deforestation and
illegal trapping for the pet trade.

The Zoo’s Double Yellow-headed Amazon: Korbel is a female and was born in captivity in
January of 1973. She often says “hello,” “hi Korbel,” and “how are you?”.

Interesting Facts:
• The popularity for the Double Yellow-headed Amazon as a pet dates back hundreds of years.
The British Museum in London has a painting from 300 years ago of an English noble woman
with her Double Yellow-headed Amazon by her side.
• These parrots are able to mimic sounds and can learn to talk.

Information taken from the following sources:

http://rosamondgiffordzoo.org/assets/uploads/animals/pdf/DoubleYellowHeadedAmazon.pdf
https://www.hoglezoo.org/meet_our_animals/animal_finder/yellow-headed_amazon_parrot/